Ryuu no Hikou, Chapter Two

[Goldilocks]

I've finished up to Chapter 6 on this one so far. Am posting them slightly staggered, time-wise, so I don't swamp the forum all at once. ^^;; As always, C&C is greatly loved and appreciated. ^_^

--Sara

~*~

Ryuu no Hikou

Chapter 2

Relena laced her fingers together and rested her chin on her hands, resisting the overpowering urge to bury her face in her palms and wish for the problem before her to simply go away.

After it had been revealed that no one was sure why the Oracle had spoken, or why the dragon-riders had been summoned, an emergency council meeting had been called. They had chosen to relocate to one of the many council halls in the castle. It was not as large as the Grand Hall but large enough, which was good; as soon as the dragons had realized what was going on, they had insisted in being a part of the meeting, as well.

They were now gathered in the council hall. It had been a tight squeeze, but with a bit of jostling and a great deal of growling and snapping, all of the dragons had managed to fit. Along with the dragons were their riders, Relena and Weyridge, Noin, and a few of the higher-ranking scholars from the Hall of Scribes.

The six dragon-riders were now watching Relena with mixed expressions of concern, pity, derision, and disgust. She blanked out all of those, forcing herself to remain calm, and drew a deep breath to speak.

"I am certain that this revelation may come as something of a surprise--"

"A surprise?! A surprise. No, it does not come as a surprise. It comes as a blatant insult!" Wufei stood up, his arms folded across his chest defiantly. "Why did you drag us here? Why could you not have waited until the Oracle spoke in a language that could be understood??"

Relena sensed Noin bristling behind her, and inclined her head to stop a confrontation. "I believe Scholar Morathes will be able to explain this more adequately than I could." She turned her head, acknowledging the scholar. He stood up with a nod of thanks, and cleared his throat.

"As you know, the Oracle was granted to King Arsan 7,500 years ago. Since that time, our language has changed and developed along with its people. However, while the language that we speak today has evolved, the Oracle has not modified its own speech to reflect such changes.

"When it became apparent that the scholars no longer could understand the Oracle, the Watcher's role came into being. The Watcher studied the old tongue intensely, learning to speak it as well as his or her native tongue. It also became the Watcher's role to interpret the Oracle, whose words are often spoken in riddle. As long as there is a Watcher, we can interpret the words of the Oracle, when it chooses to speak," finished Morathes.

"And just where is the watcher now?" Wufei would not be so easily diverted, it seemed.

At this, Weyridge cleared his throat politely. "Watcher Noventa has taken his apprentice on sojourn in the Northern Mountains. He has been sent a message by hawk, and the bird returned yesterday with confirmation that he would return immediately. However, even a hard ride by horseback would take nearly seven days to complete. We expect him back soon, but you must be patient."

Wufei refused to back down. "Why is he not here?! What use is a Watcher who will not stay near the Oracle at all times, to prevent situations like this from arising? You dragged the dragon-riders here for nothing!"

Morathes glared at the youth. "Watcher Noventa's business is his own. Do you question the word of the scholars, who issued the command that the dragon-riders be summoned? Would you challenge the age-old Pact, simply for sake of your own convenience?" Wufei glared in bald fury at the older man, but said nothing, reclaiming his seat.

Quatre, who had been watching the proceeding with a growing sense of apprehension, now spoke. "I do not question the Oracle," he began hesitantly, "but it does raise questions, as to why we were summoned here at all. Yet the Oracle does not speak unless there is a real threat presented, does it not?"

Morathes nodded at this, relieved that not all of the riders shared the same ill temperament as Wufei. "We believe that since we can see no reason for the dragon-riders to be summoned at the moment, the Oracle is sensing a looming danger that we must prepare for in advance, rather than an imminent attack."

"So what are you suggesting? That we wait for the enemy to attack? I hardly think that a constructive use of the dragon-riders," Trowa said quietly.

Weyridge shook his head. "I'm afraid that there is little the dragon-riders can do, until a real enemy has been determined, but we have been far from complacent. We have already sent out scouts and spies, to try and determine where this attack will come from. Thus far, our intelligence reports suspicious activity near the Eastern border, but nothing to raise alarm. Nevertheless, we will keep our eyes open, and be alert to signs of danger."

"It would be possible for the dragons to do some investigating of our own." This comment had come from Sandrock, and caused those not familiar with dragons to stare in surprise at the bronze. Few dragons reveal that they can talk to those not directly acquainted with their riders.

"The suggestion is well-received and appreciated, but we fear that dragons flying overhead will raise too great a suspicion in those we wish to monitor to be effective." Weyridge said regretfully. "Even at night, if the enemy has its eyes and ears trained for spies, the presence of the dragons would be noted, and I do not believe that is a good thing."

Sandrock shook his massive head. "Not ourselves, good Advisor. I agree; our presence would be duly noted, and suspicions aroused. But we dragons do have other means at our disposal, and are allied with those who can go undetected, if they wish it so, as well as those creatures whose roles normally place them above suspicion."

Weyridge nodded. "I understand. We may draw upon your own network, should ours continue to fail to find leads."

There was a short pause, as thoughts were gathered. Then Morathes spoke up again. "What of Es'rilshan? Perhaps the Oracle has foreseen a threat from that kingdom."

At this suggestion, Relena immediately averted her eyes, looking down to concentrate on her hands. Behind her, Noin stiffened and bit her lip. Weyridge sighed, and shook his head.

"It is a possibility, but I don't believe that we have any threat to fear from Es'rilshan. They have no desire to return to claim these lands, either in peace or in war. As long as they keep to their own borders, we cannot interfere in their actions, if they do not threaten our own. Even so, Es'rilshan's king has sent emissaries to promote neutrality between our nations, even if he himself is not to be trusted."

He would say no more on the matter, but nothing needed to be said. The story of Es'rilshan's ceding from Sanq was a long and well-known story. The king who had founded it had once been a prince of Sanq, and in line for the throne...until he was granted a dragon-egg. As Sanq's laws dictate that no dragon-rider may be king, Toran spent most of his life in bitter confusion, wishing he could damn the laws that had twisted his fate so. His anger sparked a civil war, pitting dragon-rider against nobleman, and resulted in Toran's flight from Sanq to a neighboring nation. There he created his own kingdom, where dragon-riders could be king, if fate dictated it so.

Peace had followed the flight of Toran, though connections had always been tenuous at best between the two nations. Relena tried to calm herself. Her own brother, Milliardo, had disappeared shortly before her father's death, and it was well-rumored that he had defected to Es'rilshan to join the current king, Treize. If he had stayed in Sanq...he would have been the seventh dragon-rider.

Relena was shaken from her reverie by another of the dragon-riders. "So what is it exactly that we have to do? Sit around and wait to be attacked?" Duo said, fighting the urge to pace.

Weyridge looked a bit put-out by this. "If we do not have a specific enemy targeted, we cannot go blindly attacking every organization that appears to be a threat!" he said, clearly agitated. "We have put great stock in our reputation as a pacifist kingdom, and we cannot forfeit that reputation out of something as trivial as anxious boredom!" he said.

Relena finally decided it was her turn to speak. "I do realize that it may seem pointless for you to be here," she began, trying to keep her voice as neutral as possible, "but really, it is for the best. If you are all gathered in one place, it will be that much easier to call upon you, when this nameless danger does rear its ugly head. What would happen, were Calon Gaer to be attacked while you were at home in your respective duchies? You would not be able to reach us in time, no matter how fast your dragons are. It is far better that you stay at the castle, at least until we know what it is that we face."

Wufei scowled at this. "Why should we stay? If there is no reason for us to be here--"

He was cut off by Heero, the dark-haired youth who had interrupted the welcoming ceremony. "We stay," he said, his voice not brooking argument. "We stay, because we are bound by the Pact, as all dragon-riders who came before us were bound."

To this, Wufei did not have an answer. He settled back, obviously displeased but not willing to dispute, and the atmosphere in the room lightened considerably. Relena allowed some of the tension to drain out of her. Though some of the dragon-riders may not be happy about staying, none of them were willing to break the Pact for their own sake.

There were many other things she wished to discuss with the dragon-riders, but Weyridge had noted her strained and worn expression. "I do believe that the stress of the morning's activities has proven to be a challenge for all of us. Might I suggest that we continue this meeting at another time? There are still many things to discuss, but you have all traveled very far, and are probably in need of a good rest."

The dragon-riders seemed to be of an agreement on this, and began to stand up. The dragons themselves stood and stretched, doing their best not to bump or jostle their neighbor. "There are stewards waiting outside, and they will guide you to the cliff-cave rooms that have been prepared for your arrival. If you need anything, they will be happy to assist you."

The dragon-riders and their dragons slowly made their way out of the room. As soon as they had gone, Morathes and the other scholars took their leave, making their way back to the Hall of Scribes, leaving Relena, Weyridge and Noin alone in the room.

As soon as the door closed softly behind the last scholar, Relena allowed herself to drop the pretense of decorum, flopping down against the table. "What are we going to do?! They don't want to stay..." she moaned, her voice muffled by her arms.

Weyridge sighed. "They are young, Highness; young and impetuous. It only makes sense that they would not want to stay. But take heart; as soon as Watcher Noventa returns, he will be able to translate the words of the Oracle and verify that there is a very real threat to the kingdom, and they will have no choice but to stay."

Relena stood up, and turned to face her advisor and bodyguard. "I hope you're right, for the dragon-riders' sakes, Advisor," she said ruefully, "but for the sake of the Kingdom, I hope you are wrong."

~*~

Wufei did not want to admit it, but he was lost.

He had left Lun in their room in the cave-catacombs, and had gone in search of the library. If he had to waste his time sitting around, waiting for an enemy to attack, he figured that he might as well make it worth his while, and it was no secret that Calon Gaer's library was one of the most impressive in the land. Lun had agreed that scholarly pursuits would be a good use of his time, and he had left.

Unfortunately, the directions given to him by a hurried house page were tenuous at best, and now he was completely turned around in the labyrinthine passageways beneath the castle. His sense of direction told him that he had doubled back on his path several times, but without any distinct landmarks in the hallway, he had no way of knowing where he was, or how to get where he wanted to go.

Wufei cursed inwardly. Curse this damned castle, the damned Pact, and the thrice-damned Oracle! If not for them, he would not be lost in the endless passageways of the catacombs, trying to find a library to stave off his boredom!

He was about to turn down a hallway that looked promising, when his vision was interrupted by a pair of laughing green eyes, hovering just in his line of vision. He shouted in surprise and stumbled backward, backing into the wall involuntarily and losing his footing. The eyes were accompanied by a high-pitched, bell-like giggling, and slowly, the owner of the eyes materialized in front of him.

It was a dragon, but it was very small; perhaps only the size of a housecat. Its skin was pale orange, fading to green in places, and a pair of vibrantly-colored butterfly wings sprouted from its back. It eyed him with a mixture of curiosity and mischief. Wufei groaned inwardly. He would have to be the one to stumble across a faerie dragon.

"You're lost!" the faerie dragon exclaimed.

Wufei stood up, brushing himself off indignantly. "I am not lost," he said stiffly. "I am merely exploring the castle, to familiarize myself with it. I know exactly where I am."

"Liar," drawled the faerie dragon, flitting about his head. "Why you explore so deep? No one comes down here but scholars and castle staff. You a scholar?"

Wufei puffed up a bit. "As a matter of fact, I am," he said proudly. "I am one of the greatest scholars that Ri Shin has ever produced."

"A scholar who gets lost so easily? Pfff. Ri Shin should be ashamed of himself!"

"Ri Shin is a place, not a person," replied Wufei testily. "Now, if you will excuse me..." He tried to step around the faerie dragon, but the dragon only followed his movements, not letting him get past. "Will you move?!" Wufei growled, beginning to get exasperated. As if he didn't have enoughreason to detest this place!

"What's the magic word?" replied the dragon nonchalantly.

"Magic word?! What sort of nonsense..." Wufei put a hand to his head. "I don't know! I've been here less than a week. How should I know what the magic word is?"

The faerie dragon shook its head and giggled. "They not teach you the magic word in Ri Shin? My my, what an uncultured place Ri Shin must be! I thought everyone knew what the magic word was!"

Wufei made an inarticulate sound of frustration deep in his throat, and strode forward, hands clenched in fists as if to menace the little dragon. But before he could commit any acts of violence against the faerie dragon, a new voice cut through the frustrated rage clouding his mind.

"Fikriyya, are you pestering this poor man? Shame on you." The voice was decidedly feminine, though not high-pitched and annoying, like many of the female voices Wufei was accustomed to hearing. He looked past the now-distracted faerie dragon, and found the owner of the voice. She stood in the hallway behind the dragon, one hand on a hip and a slight smile on her face. She exuded confidence and intelligence, and Wufei found himself stammering without saying anything. What was wrong with him?!

The young woman was wearing a working smock draped over what seemed to be a tunic and breeches, which surprised Wufei. Shouldn't a woman of the castle be wearing a dress, or more proper woman's attire? Her hair was pulled back into two thick braid-like twists, which rested on both shoulders. The faerie dragon flitted over to the woman and landed on her shoulder, wrapping its tail around her neck and butting its head against her cheek. "I was just saying hello," the faerie dragon said, not sounding the least bit apologetic.

The woman smiled indulgently, and walked over to where Wufei was standing. "I apologize for Fikriyya's behavior. She can get rather...enthusiastic, when meeting new people." She held out her hand. "I'm Sally Po, and you've already met Fikriyya," she said, gesturing to the faerie dragon. "And you are...?"

Wufei was so flummoxed that he didn't react at first. After a short, awkward pause, he took her hand and shook it carefully, not quite sure what to make of this strange woman and her even stranger dragon companion. "I am Chang Wufei, from Ri Shin," he said gravely.

Sally's eyebrows raised with pleased surprise. "Oh, you're one of the dragon-riders, aren't you? No wonder Fikriyya was so interested in you. She could probably smell dragon on you." The little dragon giggled again, bobbing its head.

"I...see..." replied Wufei, not quite sure how to interpret this.

"In fact, I would very much like to meet your dragon, if you would allow it," continued Sally. "My work here is to research the dragons, and why their numbers have been diminishing so dramatically. It would help my research immensely, were I able to talk to and examine some rider-dragons. If both you and your dragon would permit it...?"

"I...see no reason why not. If we're to sit and wait here until our reason for being here is determined, we may as well make it productive." He couldn't help but stare at Sally's eyes, which were the clearest shade of blue he'd ever seen. "I'm certain that Nataku would be interested in speaking with you, as well." He frowned. Her name sounded very familiar. "Have we met before...?"

Sally smiled enigmatically. "Perhaps...you are the son of a duke, are you not? I traveled here from Ri Long. It's very near your own duchy." She turned away, as if to walk down the corridor. "Do forgive me, but I must get back to my research. I will be in contact with you very soon, about talking with your dragon." She began walking down the hall, then stopped and turned to face him again, a small smile on her face. "If you go back the way you came, take the right-hand hallway instead of the left-hand one. At the end of the right-hand hallway is a set of stairs. It will take you to the ground level of the castle, and the library is right off the staircase." Her eyes twinkled like her dragon's had, and she turned and disappeared in the shadows of the corridor.

Wufei stood where he was and stared at the spot where Sally had disappeared. It was a long time before he remembered the library again.

~*~

One thing that the dragons had acquired from taking on riders was a definite appreciation for the conveniences of human civilization. While most of them were rather reluctant to admit to a fondness of a good wine, or meat cooked in a particular way (the latter being a sticking point that most self-respecting dragons would not be eager to admit to enjoying); the most oft-enjoyed human indulgence that dragons adopted as their own was, hands down, a long, indulgent bath.

While bathing in and of itself was hardly a new concept to the dragons, the idea of soaking in hot water for long periods of time was quite new to them. So came as a surprise to no one that when the plans for the castle were being prepared, it was insisted upon that a palatial bathhouse be incorporated into those plans. Aside from being a nicety, it was a necessity. Though the Estelan River flowed past the cliff that housed the castle, its path having carved the cliff from the living rock eons before time, the river was far too fast and turbulent to accommodate bathing, and even dragons who had an affinity for water gave the river the respect it deserved. Since there were no other convenient bodies of water located near enough for bathing, one simply had to be built.

The dragon bathhouse was large and luxurious; the old architects who had designed the castle had known their craft intimately. Somehow, an ancient hot spring had been discovered and tapped, and the hot water piped into the bathhouse, with cold water to balance coming directly from the river itself. The ceiling was high and arched, leaving plenty of room for stretching and splashing. A large, airy mezzanine circled the bathhouse, high enough so that anyone on it was safe from splashing, playful or otherwise. The mezzanine itself had been designed for the dragons' riders, so that they may relax while their dragons bathed, but tradition had become that the riders always bathed with their dragons, and it had become a bonding moment for dragon and rider alike, as well as a social event.

The room had been created by some unknown means so that even though the bathhouse was located deep within the castle proper, it was lit so well as to seem open to the sky. There were large rocks situated in the pool for sunning and drying, and the pool was deep enough to submerge a dragon in some areas, and shallow enough in others for the riders to stand or sit comfortably and not be completely submerged. The room was also aesthetically pleasing, with small, natural waterfalls tumbling into the main pool, and climbing ivies and other flowering vines climbing the walls and the pillars supporting the mezzanine. The bathhouse had been designed to be both functional and relaxing, and was a perennial favorite of all dragons and their riders who stayed at Calon Gaer.

It had not taken long for the dragons and their riders to discover the bathhouse. All of the dragons were hot and weary from their journey, and the idea of a hot soak in the bath was irresistible. The Maguanacs and their dragons had all taken their turns during the welcoming ceremony, since there was no need for them to be there, and by the time the other dragon-riders were free to explore the castle at their leisure, the bathhouse had been cleaned and restocked with supplies for the remaining dragons.

Relena had often come to the bathhouse, both to relax and to think, since assuming the throne. It was usually quiet and peaceful, since there had not been any dragons in the castle in her lifetime. The bathhouse was always kept in working order, even when there were no dragons to make use of it. But today, she could hear the splashing of many creatures in the pool, along with shouts and laughter, and the occasional growl or hiss. Relena kept far back along the inside wall, hoping to remain unseen. The last thing she needed was to allow the dragon-riders to catch her in a moment of weakness.

A soft giggle, quickly covered by hushing noises, startled her out of her reverie. She looked up, and saw a small group of young women standing behind one of the pillars. The wall formed a natural barrier, hiding them from view from below. Among them she recognized Noin-- wondered where she had gotten to--Sally Po, the resident scientific scholar, and Hilde. The latter drew a smile from Relena. The petite dark-haired girl had recently arrived to Calon Gaer from one of the outerlying duchies near the northern border. The only child of the Duke, Hilde had been sent to Calon Gaer as a lady-in-waiting to Relena, in the hopes that she would attract the attention of a noble son from another duchy. Thus far, Hilde had been polite but kept to herself, and had been rather shy around Relena and the other castle residents. To hear her laughing was wondrous, indeed.

Hilde chose that moment to look up, and waved Relena over as if welcoming an old friend. "Shh!" she giggled, "we've got the perfect spot right here, if you want to watch and not get caught!"

"Watch what--oh!" Relena soon discovered why the other women had been hiding, and what all the excitement was about. From their vantage, they could see everything--and everyone--in the bathhouse below them...and the view was very spectacular.

The dragons themselves were in various states of relaxation; some swam in the deeper areas in the pool; others stood in the shallows while their riders scrubbed them, or relaxed on the sunning rocks; their wings fanned to dry. But the dragons were not what had attracted her attention. The riders were down there as well, and all of them were clad in little more than loincloths. The riders were all muscular and lean; each showing adequately the physical stamina necessary to ride and care for a dragon.

Relena covered her mouth with one hand, hoping the others didn't notice how deeply she blushed. Yet she stared, fascinated. No wonder the others had chosen this spot to evade discovery--not only did it naturally hide them, but the view was exquisite!

"They're so muscular!" she gasped.

"Mmhmm," nodded Hilde appreciatively. "I wonder what it must feel like to be held by arms that strong!"

"It's hard to believe they're so young, isn't it?" commented Noin. "None of the lads who live here could even compare."

"Which do you think is cute, Princess?" asked Hilde impishly.

Relena blushed again, and found herself searching the pools for an already-familiar head of dark, tousled hair. She found it, in a more secluded corner of the pool, lounging up against the side of his dragon, who was stretched out along the side of the pool, dozing lightly. Relena smiled. The dark-haired youth also seemed to be dozing off. He looked so innocent like that...

Hilde followed her gaze. "You fancy him, Relena?! Isn't he the one who caused that fracas during the welcoming ceremony today?" She stared at the princess, not bothering to disguise her surprise.

Relena blushed. "Well...perhaps fancy is a bit much, don't you think? I mean, we just barely met, and haven't even had a proper chance to speak, and..." Her voice trailed off, as she realized the other women were staring at her. "What?!"

The other three women dissolved into giggles, keeping their voices as low as they could. "H-h-highness," gasped Hilde, "I think you really do fancy him!"

Relena huffed. "I do not. We just met; how could I?" She decided to change the tack a bit. "And what about you? Which dragon-rider do youfancy?"

Hilde was silent for a moment, regarding the dragon-riders with quiet contemplation. "I think..." she said carefully, "I think that the prince from Mir Estel--"

The others giggled. "Really? Him?? And why do you think...."

The dragons and their riders were momentarily forgotten in the discussion, but the women's presence had not gone unnoticed.

Faohr, who had until that point been flicking water unobtrusively at Kyarn, Heero's topaz dragon, and looking innocent when the latter would start awake with a snort, was suddenly distracted from his play. His head swiveled sharply, as if orienting on a sound, and his eyes grew very wide and curious.

Duo noticed the intense stare his dragon was giving a particular section of the mezzanine, and he sat up from where he was lounging against the side of one of the shallow pools. "What's the matter, buddy? You hear something?"

Faohr squinted his eyes and cocked his head to one side. "IhearsomethingovertherebutIdon'tknowwhatitis..." His muscles bunched, as if to fly over and investigate. But something caused Duo to stop his dragon. He shook his head. "Wait a minute...I don't think this is a threat." He craned his neck a bit, to peer around one of the large stone pillars supporting the mezzanine, and hit paydirt as he spotted the women.

At first, he was shocked. Was that the Princess with them?! That threw him for a loop. Why would the princess be spying on the dragon-riders as they bathed, and why did she have an entourage with her? But then he smirked. Well, if they were going to spy on someone bathing, at least they had the good taste to watch him!

Then he noticed one particular girl in the group. She was petite and delicate, and even from the distance, he could see the bright twinkle in her eyes, and the way her smile caused her entire face to glow. He watched the girl for a span of heartbeats that seemed to stretch time, until she slowly turned and realized he was watching her.

Hilde gasped, and clutched at Relena's arm. "Oh! We've been spotted!" she hissed. But then she watched, mesmerized by the dragon-rider. He glanced around him, then gave her a slow, deliberate wink, along with a rakish smile.

All of the girls could see this, and dissolved once again into helpless giggling. But they had been spotted by one dragon-rider, even if he planned on keeping this a secret. Noin shook her head slightly, a small smile on her face. "We really must go now, Highness," she admonished quietly. "It wouldn't do for anyone else to spot us." Reluctantly the others agreed, and quietly made their way out of the bathhouse.

Duo noticed this and smirked. Up until that point, he'd been fairly ambivalent about his being at the castle; neither being disappointed or happy. This, however, would certainly make life more interesting.

* * *

Quatre allowed his body to float in the deep water, letting the tension drain from his neck and shoulders. The meeting with the princess and the other dragon-riders had left him tense and nervous; uncertain about the future and their next move. When he had heard that Calon Gaer had a bathhouse, he had almost wept with relief. A hot bath was exactly what he needed.

Nearby, Parth was diving and swimming beneath the surface of the deep sections, exploring every nook and cranny. The deep pools had turned out to be a lot deeper than either dragon or rider had imagined, and Parth had immediately took it upon himself to explore. Quatre wasn't worried. He knew that his dragon was as comfortable in the water as he was in the air; after all, the dragon could breathe underwater.

Every now and then Parth's head would burst from beneath the water as the dragon checked on his rider, but Quatre was no stranger to swimming himself. He had practically learned to swim before he had learned to walk, especially since he had to raise a dragon hatchling who wouldn't stay out of the water.

But after a while, soaking lost its allure, and Quatre began to grow bored. With boredom came a sense of desolation. They didn't know who the enemy was, they didn't know why they were there, and they didn't know when the attack would come, or how it would manifest itself. He didn't like the uncertainty of it all. They didn't even know what the Oracle's prophecy was!

He righted himself, treading water, and glanced around. He was still not very familiar with the other dragon-riders, but at least he could tell them apart, sort of. Over in the shallow end, Wufei stood with Nataku, combing the tangles out of her green mane. The dark-haired young man was smiling slightly, and would occasionally nod his head enthusiastically. The two seemed to be immersed in a deep conversation about something. At least Wufei seems to be content, mused Quatre inwardly.

Across the pools from Wufei, a loud splash revealed the presence of Duo and his dragon, Deathscythe. Both dragon and rider seemed very intent on something happening on the stone mezzanine, but from Quatre's vantage point, he could see nothing. Even as he watched, the dragon flipped around and started splashing in the shallows, drenching his rider in the process. The braided youth laughed and splashed back, and the two immersed themselves in play, their laughter ricocheting around the room.

Against the far wall rested the surly topaz dragon and his equally antisocial rider, Heero. Both seemed to be dozing off, which relieved Quatre. He somehow knew that Wing's rider was neither cruel nor evil, but all the same, Quatre knew to keep his distance...at least, he'd keep it until the other youth and his volatile-tempered dragon felt more comfortable in their environment.

Quatre's eyes finally strayed to one of the large, flat sunning rocks in the center of the pools. The copper dragon lay stretched out there, and her rider leaned up against her side. The two seemed to be chatting amiably--well, the dragon was talking. Her rider seemed to be more taciturn.

For some reason, Quatre felt himself drawn to the pair. Why? He had this overwhelming urge to get to know this person, though he didn't know why. What was it about this youth--Trowa was his name--that drew him so? It certainly couldn't be anything beyond loneliness, he decided. Quatre was used to being surrounded by people. If a collection of his sisters weren't around, then a crew of the Maguanacs would be. He was used to noise and friendly confusion, and the lack of it was surprisingly disturbing to him.

Before he could think any longer on the matter, he found himself paddling over to the rock, and hoisting himself up to sit near the other rider. Trowa nodded in acknowledgment, and his dragon peered over his shoulder at Quatre with curiosity.

Quatre pushed his wet hair out of his eyes, and searched desperately for something to talk about. "So..." he finally started lamely, "you're from Alyhandriss? That's beautiful country. I've been there, once or twice."

Trowa nodded. Encouraged, Quatre continued.

"Your father is a bard? I heard that he's called the Singing Duke."

Trowa chuckled at this. "Both of my parents are bards, actually. So was my grandfather. Alyhandriss was inherited by a bard prince. They renamed the duchy and made some changes."

Quatre was silent for a moment, uncertain of what to say next. "It must be nice," he finally said, wistfully. "I love music. But my father couldn't carry a tune in a bucket." He shook his head wryly. "He always says that I must have inherited my musical talent from my mother, because I certainly didn't get it from him."

Trowa chuckled at this. Another pause stretched between them like fragile strands of molten glass.

"Do you...have any siblings?" Quatre asked.

Trowa nodded. "One, an older sister. She's the Watcher's apprentice. You will get to meet her when the Watcher returns to the castle."

Quatre smiled. "You have a sister too? So do I. Well actually, I have several sisters. 29, to be exact." He lowered his voice to an almost conspiratorial tone. "Tell me...does your sister...does she..."

"Take every opportunity to embarrass me in front of our parents or anyone else important? Cathrine does not ever spare the opportunity," Trowa chuckled.

Quatre felt as though he had found a kindred soul. "Mine, too! Only, can you imagine your sister times 29??? Sometimes, I can hardly stand it. Some of my sisters are dragon-riders, too, so I can't even escape that way."

Trowa took interest at this. "Your sisters are dragon-riders? Why didn't they come to the castle?"

Quatre shrugged. "Not all of them. Some of them are riders. They all got brass dragons, of course. And they are not here because Father would not let them go. He had a hard enough time allowing me to go; he absolutely refused to give leave to any of my sisters." He shook his head ruefully. "Luckily for him, my father knows the Pact backwards and forwards. He knew that he could safely refuse to let my sisters go without breaking the Pact, because they are women. Lucky for him he didn't tell them that. They would not have been too pleased."

Trowa smiled. "Your sisters sound like very strong people," he commented.

Quatre smiled indulgently. "Well, they kind of have to be. They're desert women, and they ride dragons. Most of them gave up being delicate a long time ago. I've no doubt that they would've been quite capable of taking part in the Pact."

Trowa nodded, intrigued, but before he could say anything more, Parth's bronze head breached the surface right next to the rock. Trowa's copper dragon, who had been dozing, started with a loud snort, and the two young men looked up, startled out of their conversation.

"There you are! What are you doing over here?" Parth lurched out of the water, planting his forearms on the rock. "I thought you were swimming!"

"I was. I came over here to talk to Trowa. You were busy swimming; I didn't want to interrupt you." Inwardly, Quatre puzzled over this. Why was Parth acting this way?? He knew that the dragon had known exactly where he was at all times, even when he was underwater. And what was behind that strange expression on Parth's face? The dragon almost seemed to be smirking.

Before he could think any longer on this, Heavyarms raised her head and eyed Parth. "I'm hungry," she announced. "Want to check out the hunting around here? I'm interested in seeing what's to be had, and wouldn't mind a chance to explore the landscape, as well." Quatre noticed that the other riders and their dragons were beginning to leave the bath, grabbing towels or shaking vigorously.

Heavyarms stood and stretched indulgently, spreading her wings and arching her neck. She looked at Parth again. "Well? Are you coming?" In response, Parth pulled himself completely out of the water and shook, drenching dragon and rider alike. Heavyarms gave him a desultory look, and launched herself into the air, heading for the shore. Parth gave Quatre a look that he could not quite interpret, and turned to follow the copper dragon.

Quatre glanced apologetically at Trowa. "He doesn't normally behave like that," he said, sounding rather sheepish. "I don't know what's gotten into him."

Trowa shrugged, as if the matter had already been forgotten. Quatre noticed how bronzed the taller youth's broad shoulders were, as though he spent a lot of time shirtless in the sun, and realized with more than a little mortification that he rather liked the view. Before he could think farther on this, Trowa spoke to him again.

"Our dragons are hungry, and I am, too. It must almost be time for dinner. Want to find the dining hall?" Quatre nodded mutely, uncertain of what to say in light of things, and dove into the water after Trowa to swim to shore.

* * *

After dinner, Duo was struck with a rare case of domesticity and decided to unpack his traveling trunk. "As long as I'm here, I might as well make myself at home!" he commented to Faohr.

Duo hadn't been unpacking for very long when there was a quiet, timid knock at the door to his suite. He walked across the room and opened the door, only to find the petite young woman whom he had caught watching him in the bathhouse earlier that afternoon.

The woman seemed to shrink into herself, and a scarlet blush spread across her cheekbones. "I'm terribly sorry to disturb you," she began, almost rushing her words in her nervousness, "but I was wondering...I lost something...I can't find her anywhere...."

"Who?" asked Duo, eager for any excuse to talk to the beauty longer.

"My kitten," she confessed. "Ashkita. I can't find her anywhere. I've been looking all over, and I--" She stopped when Duo began laughing. "What?" she asked, some of the nervousness crowded out of her voice by fledgling irritation.

"I know where your kitten is," Duo said, chucking. "Come in." He led the young woman into his room, and over to Faohr's nesting pit.

The woman looked about the room. "I don't...I don't see...Where is she?"

Duo said nothing; choosing simply to point at Faohr's head, a small, enigmatic smile on his face.

The woman's eye followed his direction, and as her gaze traveled up Faohr's sinuous neck, her eyes widened more and more. When she finally reached the dragon's head, she gasped in shock, her hands flying up to her mouth.

"Ashkita!"

The kitten in question was perched comfortably on the very top of Faohr's head, as if it were the most natural place in the world for her to be. Faohr himself was keeping uncharacteristically still, as though not to disturb the tiny kitten, though he would occasionally tilt his head slightly and roll his eyes upward, trying to catch a glimpse of the creature he knew was there. As for the kitten, she seemed to have decided that Faohr's head was the perfect place for her, and was currently very interested in cleaning one forepaw.

The girl seemed to undergo a radical change. She whirled on Duo. "What is my kitten doing up there?!" she said harshly. "What is your dragon doing to her?"

Duo was taken aback by this. The girl certainly didn't seem capable of such a strong reaction, but she obviously had it in her. "If that dragon so much as harms a whisker, so help me I'll..." She made a frustrated noise in the back of her throat, her fists balled at her sides.

Duo held up his hands. "Hey hey, Princess, calm down! I can guarantee that Deathscythe won't harm a hair on that cat's head. He doesn't hurt anything unless I tell him to, or if I'm in danger." He smirked. "About the only thing that cat is in danger of is overcoming all of us with cuteness. Deathscythe here took a shine to her as soon as she walked into the room."

The young woman's eyes reflected distrust. Duo sighed, and walked over to stand next to Faohr. "Really, I promise he wouldn't hurt a hair on the kitten's head, but if you're so worried..." He tapped Faohr's neck lightly, and the dragon obediently lowered his head. Duo scooped the kitten off of the dragon's head and handed it to the girl. "See? The kitten is just fine," he said.

Once her kitten was safe in her arms, the woman calmed down considerably. She looked at Duo, remorse apparent in her eyes. "I...suppose I've been a bit hasty," she said, her eyes flickering with distrust between Duo and his dragon. "Allow me to introduce myself." She held out one hand. "My name is Hilde Schbeiker; I am a lady-in-waiting to the Princess."

Duo took her hand with a flourish and caressed the soft skin on the back of her hand gently with his lips, putting on his best charming expression. "I am Duo Maxwell, prince of the duchy Mir Estel, and you've already met Deathscythe," he said, grinning. He eyed her face, hoping the charm would work. It did. The girl's expression softened further. Duo decided to go in for the kill.

"So...princess..." he said casually, "did you enjoy the view this afternoon?"

A hand flew up to her mouth, and a blush spread across her cheeks. "I...I..." her voice faltered. Duo's grin widened. "Hey, don't worry about it. I won't be telling anyone." He gave her a conspiratorial wink. "Especially if you enjoyed the view." Hilde's blush spread farther across her cheeks, and she began to back toward the door.

"I...thank you for making sure Ashkita stayed safe," she stammered, "but I really must be going." She turned and fled to the doorway, then stopped. "I...that is...I was wondering if you would--if we could--" She suddenly gave an impatient huff and crossed her arms over her chest, taking care not to crush the kitten. "Could we meet again sometime?" she finally blurted out.

Duo's grin widened. "It would be my pleasure, Princess," he said gallantly. A small, heart-melting smile flickered across the petite woman's lips, and she escaped out of the door silently, the door closing behind her.

Duo watched the door thoughtfully for a moment, then strode over to where his dragon sat. Faohr was eyeing him curiously, his head cocked to one side. When Duo reached his side, he lowered his head to rest his chin gently on his rider's shoulder, eyes sparking with unasked questions.

Duo reached up and scratched Faohr under the chin, eliciting a happy grunt from the dragon. "Old buddy, I've got to thank you for being a cat person."

* * *

Relena did not want to admit that she was searching for the enigmatic Heero, but that was exactly what she was doing. She was being as surreptitious as possible about it, of course. However, anyone who knew her well would have known that she wasn't wandering the halls, as she had been telling those she met, but that she had a very firm and resolved something in mind that she was searching for.

Currently, that "something" either knew she was looking for him, or was very, very good at making himself scarce when he did not want to be found.

She was just about to give up and return to her quarters in frustration when, on a whim, she decided to check the parapets. She rarely went up there; that was where the guards congregated, and they tended to get a little nervous whenever she showed up and asked questions about what they were doing.

Relena happened to reach the parapets just at the changing of the guard, so there were no guards strolling purposefully across the walks. The wind, which was more brisk this high up, whisked her hair across her face, causing her to brush impatiently at it as it blew into her eyes and mouth. She scanned the parapets for a familiar figure, though in her heart she felt that there was nobody there.

But just when she was about to give up and leave, she spied him. He was leaning up against a stone wall, almost blending in with his surroundings. This was particularly impressive, considering that the color of his clothing did not match particularly well that of the stone.

Relena felt her face breaking into a grin, and she carefully schooled her features back into a more neutral expression. There was no need for her to make a fool of herself in front of the dragon-rider, even if his stature were below hers. That did not give her the right to act like the court jester. She settled into her best stately walk, and slowly approached the dragon-rider.

Though he made no indication of having seen her, Relena somehow felt that Heero knew very well that she was there. She waited for a moment, uncertain of what to say. She rested her hands carefully against the stone wall, gazing out over the expanse of her kingdom.

"It's a beautiful view from up here, isn't it?" she finally said conversationally. "I like to come up here and see how far I can see." She laughed lightly. "I don't get to look very often, though. Everyone seems to think that all assassins congregate on roofs."

Heero said nothing, didn't even make any indication that he had heard her. Relena continued.

"I think it's all so silly, really. I mean, I'm not that delicate; I'm not breakable. I understand that I'm as mortal as everyone else, but I don't think my life is any more valuable than any other person living in this castle." She looked around, making sure no other people could see them, then allowed herself the luxury of leaning against the parapet, resting her chin on her arms.

"Sometimes, I really wish I had more freedom than I do," she sighed wistfully. "I never seem to have a moment to myself; there are always people around, demanding my attention, wanting to speak to me or hear my counsel or get the mark of the King on some document or another. I never have any time to just be myself, it seems." She gazed out into space. "Do you know, I've always wondered what it must feel like to be able to go anywhere you want, and do anything you--"

"Why are you telling me all of this?!"

Relena stopped, her mouth closing abruptly. She straightened and turned to look at Heero. He was staring at her with a mixture of confusion and annoyance.

Relena was flummoxed. "I..." Never before had anyone done anything like this to her before; never had she been interrupted mid-sentence. "I...I was just trying to...make conversation...I didn't mean any harm by it..." Her voice faltered. Had she done something wrong?

Heero grunted. Perhaps he disliked her? She knew that she had plenty of enemies, even at her young age. What had she said that could have made him angry?

Relena looked at her hands. Perhaps he really did dislike her. She did not like to entertain the thought, though she wasn't entirely certain why. Perhaps it's because he is to be one of my protectors, one of my champions,she told herself. Perhaps he acts so cold because he does not want to risk getting too close to me. After all, it may be too difficult for him to do his job, if he were to become too friendly with me. That must be it. He does not dislike me; he is merely trying to distance himself from me. Well, I can do something about THAT.

Encouraged by this, Relena looked up again at Heero, only to realize he had already turned back to face the open sky. She cleared her throat politely. He turned slowly, looking at her with an unreadable expression.

"What?" The voice was laced with impatience.

Relena now started to get angry. For a duke's son, his manners were deplorable. "I came up here to make pleasant conversation with you," she said stiffly. "I did not expect to be rebuffed for simple, idle conversation."

"I do not feel like talking right now, Highness. Please, let me be in peace."

Despite herself, Relena began to get angry. "If you think that I'll just walk away after being treated like--"

But before she could finish her sentence, she was interrupted by a loud blare of horns. She whirled to face the sound of footsteps clattering on the stairs to the parapets. A guard burst through the doorway, panting from the exertion of running up the stairs.

"Your Highness!" he gasped. "You must come with me, immediately!"

Relena squared her shoulders, her irritation with the surly dragon-rider forgotten. "I shall," she said. "What issue requires my presence?"

"The Watcher!" said the guard, drawing deep breaths of air in to feed his starving lungs. "The Watcher has returned!"

~*~

TBC

[melodrama]

:o Wow

*blinks*

awesome fic so far Sara! Gosh... I'm completely enthralled. I love the way you've fitted each character into the story. And it's so well written! I'm impressed.

Are you really going to stagger the chapters? Not too far apart though I hope! *pouts* want more... need more. I want to read more! *bounces* More, More, More

Thanks for a fabulous read... keep up the awesome work!

Love Mel

[kmf]

OK, I have a confession. I love high fantasy, and any thing with dragons (oh, and angels) I adore. You story doesnt have any winged men or women in it yet, but it has dragons, it has sexy dragon riders, it has potential romance and it has the most important thing - plot! Im really looking forward to more of this - silly Heero trying to ignore Relena, Wufei already smitten by Sally, and chemistry between Duo and Hilde *grins* I want more!! And Im with Melodrama - please, please post more soon. I want to know what the Oracle has said ^^

kmf

[Savy]

Wow. You've got me caught in your story!! It's awesome. Can't wait to read more! Please, please, hurrrrrrrrry!

[Goldilocks]

:o Wow

*blinks*

awesome fic so far Sara! Gosh... I'm completely enthralled. I love the way you've fitted each character into the story. And it's so well written! I'm impressed.

Are you really going to stagger the chapters? Not too far apart though I hope! *pouts* want more... need more. I want to read more! *bounces* More, More, More

Thanks for a fabulous read... keep up the awesome work!

Love Mel

Wow, thanks! ^__^ I've tried really hard to fit everyone in somehow, including a lot of the more minor characters, because really, they don't get enough exposure in fics, IMO. *grins* Which means that I have fewer OCs to create. ^_^

I'll try not to put too much space between chapters...but since it takes me a while to write a chapter, I'm trying to drag out posting as long as possible, so that the time frame for posting is more uniform. But I'll try not to let it go for weeks at a time. ^^

Thanks for reading! ^_^

--Sara

[Goldilocks]

OK, I have a confession. I love high fantasy, and any thing with dragons (oh, and angels) I adore. You story doesnt have any winged men or women in it yet, but it has dragons, it has sexy dragon riders, it has potential romance and it has the most important thing - plot! Im really looking forward to more of this - silly Heero trying to ignore Relena, Wufei already smitten by Sally, and chemistry between Duo and Hilde *grins* I want more!! And Im with Melodrama - please, please post more soon. I want to know what the Oracle has said ^^

kmf

*grins* Well, I'll admit that the casting call for this fic doesn't include any winged bishounen...but you never know! ^^

It'll take a while to figure out what the Oracle said...they have to translate it. ^^ I already have the prophecy written, though. ^^

Thanks for reading! Like I told Mel, I'll try not to put TOO much time between posts...but after I exhaust what's already been written, the time lag might get significantly larger. ^^;;; Anyway, I'm glad you're enjoying this so far! ^_^

--Sara

[Goldilocks]

Wow. You've got me caught in your story!! It's awesome. Can't wait to read more! Please, please, hurrrrrrrrry!

*scribbles rapidly* Am writing as fast as I can! ^_^ I'll try to pick up the pace with my writing; I've been getting bad about lagging. Dratted writer's block! >.< Anyway, thanks for reading...I'm glad you're enjoying this so far! ^_^

--Sara

[Shooting Gundam Star]

ohhhhh....so pretty. very well written, nicely lain out. Very good!

[RDP]

Another exciting chapter! I have always liked the fantasy element in fics...especially dragons.

The interaction between Wufei & Sally and Duo & Hilde were fun to read, but in the passage where Relena tried to talk to Heero, he was just mean! :evil:

However, things are beginning to heat up with the return of the Watcher...awesome work, Sara!